Winding and unwinding device for the handling of very long films



p 2, 1930. I 'A. ROUILLER 1,774,847

WINI JING AND UNWINDING DEVICE FOR THE HANDLING OF VERY LONG FILMS Filed March 1, 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet l Sept. 2, 1930. ou 1,774,847

WINDING AND UNWINDING DEVICE FOR THE HANDLING OF VERY LONG FILMS Filed March 1, 19 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES ALBERT RQUILLIER, F PARIS, FRANCE WINDING AN D UNWINDING- DEVICE FOR THE HANDLING OF VERY LONG FILMS 'Applioation filed March 1, 1927, Serial No.

-This invention relatesto a device which may be used either for the unwinding of film rolls such as are to be found on the market i. e. for filling and emptying the container of a machine and to permit adding to and removing portions of a film with the object of allowing of their being introduced and assembled together so as to form a long endless film in the interior of large mechanical. casings or containers in such a manner as to cause the lon film to be drawn out of said casing and to e wound up in rolls of ordinar dimensions, said device being used in com ination with the driving means of an apparatus for producin the continuous circulation of a film upon w ich it is adapted in such a manner that the winding and unwindin operations are effected mechanically an consequently are uniform and rapid.

This device is more particularly applicable to the machine for enabling a long endless band of flexible material or a film to be continuously circulated described in the .U. S. patent dated May 21, 1929, No. 1,713,921.

The present device is designed to be secured upon the cover of the apparatus above men tioned in such a manner as to allow it to be made ready for'use very quickly and to be folded up when the container is full or when it is empty.

According to the present invention the apparatus comprises essentially a plate carrying the core of the roll which is mounted on a rotary shaft actuated by a small electric 3 motor by the intermediary of appropriate driving means when the device operates for winding up.

In the preferred embodiment of the inven tion, the rotary shaft supporting the plate is 0 mounted at the end of an articulated arm which causes the engagement of a worm wheel with a tangential screw carried by the motor shaft. The motion of the worm wheel is-transmitted to the plate shaft by means 5 of a belt or cord running on grooved pulleys. When'the device functions to uncoil the film (introduction of the film in the casing) the plate driving means may be dispensed with owing to the movement of the apparatus and it is then suflicient to omit the connecting 171,814, and in France February 15, 1927.

The appended drawing shows by way of i example a mode of execution of my invention as applied to the apparatus for enabling the circulation of a film in a reduced space which forms the subject matter of the United States patent already cited.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device when lnopera'tive. Fig. 2 is a similar view of same when in operation.

Figs. 3 and 4 show in lan view on a larger scale the complete device folded back and in longitudinal section the winding device properly so called when in operation.

The apparatus comprises a film container or casing formed with a cover 1 upon which is mounted. a vertical shaft 2 on which is pivoted an 3. When the apparatus is not in said am 3 may be locked in its folded position tn the shaft by means of a screw 4. The arm 3 is preferably cast in one piece and rovided at both ends with an elongated boss providedwith a concentric bore for engaging on one part with an annular bush 10, to allow rotation around the axis 2 and on the other part with a rotary shaft 5 provided at its upper end with a grooved pulley 6 and at its lower and with a screwthreaded part 5 upon the base of which is carried an appropriate means for example a key or pinto-draw along a plate 7, said key 39 bein engaged in a notch 31, Fig. 1, of the plate and the plate locked in position by means of a milled nut 8. A core 0 9 preferably of wood is mounted upon said plate concentrically to shaft 5 and is connected to the late 7 by means of a stud 9. A small vertical shaft 11 is preferably screwed in the upper bush 10 of the shaft 2 in an eccentric position relatively to the latter. A grooved pulley 12 and a small-worm wheel 13 keyed by means of a pin 14 to the hub of the pulley are mounted on the-shaft 11. A worm 15 keyed upon a small electric motor 16 is capable of engaging with wheel 13 as will be seen further. The motor 13 is mounted upon the cover and serves usually for actuating the apparatus in order to cause the circulation of the film.

' When the deviceis not in use the plate 7 which is made in two parts articulated together by means of hinges 32 placed according to its diameter, may be taken off from its shaft 5, folded back and secured on the cover 1 of the apparatus, for instance by providing both parts of the plate with corresponding holes 7 in such a manner as to allow of their engagement with a stud 17 carried by the cover 1 as will be seen in Fig. 1, the parts being locked in position by the milled nut 8 which is screwed upon the stud 17. On the other hand the arm 3 is locked to the shaft 2 by means of screw 4 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 where it is folded back against the electric motor 16 the worm'wheel 13 being free from worm 15. In order to bring the arm back again upon the cover 1 it is sufficient to raise shaft 5 with its pulley. The core 9 may then be brought under said pulley for instance by-completely disengaging the shaft and then bringing it back in its position. r

, When it is desired to use the apparatus it sufiices to loosen the screw 4 and to cause the arm't'o swing around the axis 2. Owing to the eccentric position of the shaft 11 relatively to the shaft 2 the wheel 13 engages with the screw 15 and consequently the locking in proper engagement is then ensured by means of a. small pin 18 extending from the boss of arm 3 and engaging in a hole provided with a flat spring 19' secured upon the cover 1 as shown in Fig. 3.- .1

The core 9 and the plate 7 are then placed in posit-ion. When the device is intended to operate for uncoiling it is not necessary to insert the driving cord 20 between the pulleys 6 and 12. The end of the film is inserted at 21 in the barrel of the apparatus this opera tion being facilitated by adapting at that point an articulated part 22 of the cover which may be raised to allow of pasting the end of thefilm to the band which is already inside. In the case of the first band it is necessary to connect it to the mechanism in the interior of the apparatus. It will then be advantageous to mount the cover rotatively upon a shaft 23 and to make the cover in two parts connected together by hinges 24 in such a manner as to be able to bring the free part 1 of the cover at the point where the film enters the apparatus, by raising said part the film may then be conveniently-attached to the suitable parts of the apparatus. The parts being then brought in position the motor is operated.

It will be understood that as the motor 16 is mounted upon the cover it will be necessary in order to allow the latter to oscillate to provide in the driving system placed between the motor and the shaft 23 of the apparatus, which shaft is the driving shaft of the film circulating machine, a disengaging gear which may be simply provided upon said shaft the latter being vertical in the present construction. It will be necessary on the other hand to cause the apparatus to operate for uncoiling the film coming out of the apparatus to-reverse the driving in order to reverse accordingly the direction of travel of the film in the barrel. This will be provided for by means for example of a crossed belt or cord 25 and a pressure roller or belt tightener 30 ensuring a proper tension when the elements of the belt are 'again placed in parallel. The driving transmission may be placed between a pulley 26 secured upon the motor shaft and another pulley 27 keyed upon a horizontal shaft driving by means of a worm and worm wheel 28, 29, the vertical shaft 23 of the apparatus.

When the apparatus is designed to operate for the coiling of the film, as represented in Fig. 2, the film is taken hold of by its end as it comes out of the barrel at 21 and is secured on the core by clamping it preferably in a slit provided in same. The cord 20 is then inserted between the pulleys 6 and 12 and after having reversed the operating gear the motor is started. The operation of the worm wheel 13 determines that of the shaft 5 and the core revolves coiling the film which uncoils regularly inside the apparatus. A window 33 in one of the cover halves enables the operator to ascertain the progress of the unwinding operation.

The device is afterwards folded back ac cording to the arrangement previously indicated which ensures the least possible amount of coiling and has the advantage that the divers parts of the apparatus are not separated thus avoiding their getting lost when in use or having to look for them when they are to be employed.

It will be understood that the coiling. and uncoiling devices which have just been described as applied to a particular apparatus continuously circulating an endless film for filling and emptying a container and having a film container which has a two-part cover hinged together; of mechanism mounted on one part for reeling the film from the machine and reeling it into the container in-' cluding a motor-driven reel supporting plate;

and means onthe other part of the cover to fasten said plate thereto when not in use.

2. The combination with a machine for continuously circulating an endless film for filling and emptying a container, and having a film container with a cover therefor; of a motor mounted on said cover, an arm mounted on the cover, a reel mounted'on the free end of the arm and driven from the motor, said arm when in its operative position extending beyond the machine.

3. The combination with a machine for continuously circulating an endless film for filling and emptying a container and having a film container with a cover therefor; of a motor mounted on said cover, an arm pivoted at one end on the cover to swing beyond the machine, a reel removably carried by thefree end of the arm beyond the machine and driven from said motor.

. 4. The combination with a machine for continuously circulating an endless film for filling and emptying a container and'having a film container and an operating shaft; of an arm on the machine and extending beyond it,

a reel mounted in the free end of the arm, a,

motor, and means to permit the shaftto be driven from the motor, and means to permit the reel to be driven from the motor.

5. The combination with a machine for from which'said machine is operated; of an arm pivoted on said machine and 111 one position lying substantially within the area of said machine, drivingmeans on the arm automatically effecting driving connection with the motor when the arm is swung to extend beyond the machine, a detachable film reel on the free end of. the arm, and means between the driving means and reel to rotate the latter.

6. The combination with a machine for continuously circulating an endless fihn having a film container for filling and emptyin the container, and a motor mounted thereon aving a worm at one end; of a vertical shaft on the machine, an arm mounted .at one end on said shaft to swing, a driving pulley mounted on said end eccentrically to the shaft, a worm wheel on the pulley arranged to engage the worm when said arm is swung, a shaft onthe other end of said arm, a driven pulley fixed thereon, a beltconnecting the pulleys and a detachable reel carried by the latter shaft. 1

7. The combination with a machine for circulating a film having a film container for filling and emptying the container, a driving shaft therefor and a motor mounted thereon to drive the shaft; of a worm on said motor, a vertical shaft on the machine, an

arm mounted at one end on said vertical shaft,

a pulley mounted on said arm eccentrically to said vertical shaft, a worm wheel connected to said pulley, a removable vertical reel shaft reel detachably held on the lower end of the reel shaft.

8. The combination with a machine for cir- -a film container for culating a film having t e container, a driving filling and' emptying shaft therefor and a motor mounted thereon to drive the shaft; of a worm on said motor, -a. vertical shaft on the machine, an arm mounted at one end on said vertical shaft, a pulley mounted on said arm eccentrically to said vertical shaft,'-a worm wheel connected to said pulley, a removable, vertical reel shaft in the other end of the arm, a belt con-' necting the pulleys, means to hold theworm wheel and worm in driving engagement when the arm is swung out of the machine, and a reel detachably held on the'lower end of the reel shaft, said reel comprising a foldable plate having a pinand slot connection with the reel shaft, and a loose removable reel v core having a pin connection with the plate. I

9. The combination with a film circulating machine for filling and emptying a container having a film container and a driving shaft, a worm drive therefor including'a pulley, an electric motor, a pulley thereon and a belt connecting them; of a vertical shaft on the machine, an arm pivoted thereto, a pulley on the arm, means operative when the arm is swung to effect driving of the pulley from the motor, a reel shaft in the free end of the arm, a pulley thereon, a belt connecting the last two pulleys, and-a reel on the reel shaft, whereby the machine and reel may be simultaneously operated, and by removal of one or the other belt the machine or reel may be driven-alone.

10. In combination, a film circulating machine havin a film container for filling and emptying the container, a rotatable cover therefor composed of two parts hinged to: gather, a motor on one part for driving said machine, a pivoted arm also on said part, a

reel shaft carried by said arm and a reel plate thereon composed of two foldable parts and having a pin and slot connection with the shaft, means to hold the plate to the shaft, a reel core loose on the sha t, a pin connecting the core and plate, and means on the other part of said-cover for holding said plate when folded.

ALBERT RQUILLER. 

